Dear Parents, Grand Parents, Guardians, Volunteers, Coordinators, Families, and Children,
Your trees are coming soon!
You are one of 30,000+ individuals that will be planting a tree during Earth Week (April 22-30). Most of you will be planting this tree with your child(ren) and / or family and friends.
Together, with your help and efforts, 40,000 trees will be planted in 48 states (including Canada) in just a couple of weeks!
You are part of one of the largest coordinated, volunteer, urban / residential tree planting projects – involving children – in North America!
We are thrilled that you are participating!
This email contains important information about your trees, including
1) Arrival information – trees will be available to you sometime during Earth Week (April 22-30). The Neighborhood Forest Coordinator at your school, library, youth group, or organization will be in touch with you about pick-up / send-home details as we get closer to Earth Day (April 22). If you do not hear from them or do not receive your trees by April 28th, please contact them and / or us to ensure that you receive your tree(s).
2) Species details – check out the 9 beautiful species we are shipping to different states and provinces across the continent! We aim to provide native trees in all the regions we serve.
4) STEAM Curriculum – NuMinds has also created this wonderful 6-lesson “Science of Trees” curriculum (Grades K through 6+) to augment and enrich the tree planting and learning experience. Each purchase of the curriculum will fund 4 free trees for children next year!
5) The Neighborhood Forest Board Game – the geniuses at NuMinds have also created this amazing, new, original Neighborhood Forest Board Game! Fun for the whole family and / or classroom. This game takes participants on a journey of planting and growing their own Neighborhood Forest. With each purchase of the board game, you get the “Science of Trees” curriculum and 8 kids get free trees next year!
6) Share a picture on our Facebook page! Want to thank us? Please share photos of your kids with their trees – we love seeing and sharing the photos, which will eventually add to our growing library of “then and nows“. Thank you!
We are giving away 9 different species of trees in 48 states (including Canada) this year:
1) Keep your tree in a cool, dark place (refrigerated for those in northern states) until you plant it
2) Protect your newly planted tree from wildlife and lawnmowers with a little fence and netting
3) Put some mulch around it
4) Water generously or in accordance with recommendations for your particular tree species
5) Please take a picture of your child(ren) with your newly planted tree (and share on our Facebook page, if you are comfortable) – watching your tree and kids grow together is a magical joy!
Finally, I want to say that these trees are small and vulnerable. Not all of them survive and that is Ok. It is a part of life and a part of the tree planting process. We do our part and then we have to leave the rest to Mother Nature. A lost tree seedling might break a child’s heart and there is a great lesson in this too. We mustn’t give up! We will keep sending you trees each year and we will keep on planting them.
I had to plant many trees before this one finally made it and reached maturity!
Thank you, again, for participating in Neighborhood Forest’s 13th annual free tree giveaway. We are excited to see all the smiling faces with their little trees!
Our program is made possible through generous donations and sponsorships. Check out our growing community of sponsors.
If you, an organization, a business, or someone you know would like to sponsor our program, please contact us or go to our GoFundMe campaign. We still have some funds to raise!
Thank you!
Happy Earth Day (4/22) Happy Neighborhood Forest Day (4/26) Happy Arbor Day (4/30)
Botanist-explorer David Douglas — this tree’s namesake — described it as “one of the most striking and truly graceful objects in nature.” Tree expert Michael Dirr heralded it as “one of the noblest forest trees.” To say the Douglas Fir is beloved by the tree people of the world is definitely accurate.
The general public has a number of reasons to appreciate this tree as well. Douglasfir is one of the nation’s most important lumber species, it makes up nearly half of all Christmas trees grown in the U.S., and its attractive appearance and growth rate make it popular in yards and parks.
The Douglasfir grows to a height of 40–70 feet and a spread of 12–20 feet at maturity.
This tree grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24 inches per year.
Full sun and partial shade are best for this tree, meaning it prefers a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The Douglasfir prefers acidic or neutral soil that is well-drained, though it can also be found in its native habitat of rocky mountain slopes. It is sensitive to drought.
This tree does best on a roomy site with an abundance of atmospheric moisture and can be injured by high winds.
Douglasfir seeds are used by blue grouse, songbirds, squirrels, rabbits and other small animals. Antelope, deer, elk, mountain goats and mountain sheep eat the twigs and foliage. It provides excellent cover for a wide range of animals.
While the Douglasfir may have first been introduced to cultivation by botanist-explorer David Douglas in 1826, its importance to American history continues unabated. As well as being the country’s top source of lumber today, the Douglasfir also helped settle the West, providing railroad ties and telephone/telegraph poles.
(Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio)
The eastern redcedar grows to a height of 40–50 feet and a spread of 8–20 feet at maturity and grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24 inches per year.
Redcedars are unusually long-lived, with the potential to live over 900 years. The oldest tree reported, from West Virginia, is 940 years old!
Redcedar seedlingsRedcedar at maturity
Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
Redcedar foliage provides nesting and roosting cover for sparrows, robins, mockingbirds, juncos, and warblers.
The eastern redcedar is an ancient tree, dating back to aboriginal America.
(Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington DC)
The hackberry is commonly heralded by tree experts as “one tough tree.” Found on a wide range of soils east of the Rockies from southern Canada to Florida, these trees thrive in a broad span of temperatures and on sites that vary from 14 to 60″ of annual rainfall. They can even stand up to strong winds and tolerate air pollution.
The hackberry grows well in a variety of soils. It has some tolerance for both flooding and drought.
All of this hardiness adds up to a good landscape choice, particularly if you’re looking for an energy-conserving shade tree that doesn’t require watering.
The hackberry grows to a height of 40–60 feet and a spread of 40–60 feet at maturity. This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13 inches to more than 24 inches per year.
Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The hackberry forms characteristic corky ridges and warts on trunk and branches and tolerates strong winds, pollution, heat, drought, and salt.
It has a growth pattern that resembles the elm – without the susceptibility to disease.
The fruit of the hackberry is popular with winter birds, especially the cedar waxwing, mockingbird and robin. The tree also attracts many butterfly species including American snout, hackberry, mourning cloak, and tawny emperor.
Incense Cedar is a coniferous tree native to western North America.
As the name suggests, all parts of the tree are wonderfully aromatic.
It is a large tree, typically reaching heights of 100–130 feet. The largest known tree, located in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California, is 157 feet tall with a 39-foot circumference trunk and a 57 foot spread.
This is a fast-growing tree, adding at least 12 inches a year in its early years.
This tree can live to over 500 years old.
With its thick bark, the incense cedar is one of the most fire- and drought-tolerant plants in California.
Plant Incense Cedar in a sunny or lightly shaded area. It grows well in a wide range of soils, growing best in fertile and well-drained soils.
New plants should be kept moist for the first few years.
Indigenous people of California use the plant in traditional medicine, basket making, hunting bows, building materials, and to produce fire by friction. A Northern California tribe used branchlets to filter out sand from water when removing toxins from acorn meal; foliage also served as a flavoring.
The tree can be utilized for the creation of essential oils. Scientific studies have shown that these essential oils have the ability to lower the levels of microbes, such as bacteria and viruses.
(Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)
The Red Maple brings color to your landscape year-round. Green stems turn red in winter, new leaves are red-tinged, turning to green. Fall color is deep red or yellow. Flowers are also red.
The Red Maple grows to a height of 40–60 feet and a spread of around 40 feet at maturity.
This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13 inches to more than 24 inches per year.
Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The Red Maple grows in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam, well-drained and clay soils. It prefers wet soil conditions but has slight drought tolerance.
The fruits (samaras) provide food for squirrels and many other rodents. Rabbits and deer eat the tender shoots and leaves of red maples.
The Red Maple has many claims to fame, including the greatest north–south range of any tree species living entirely in the eastern forests (Newfoundland to southern Florida).
The nation’s largest Red Maple lies in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This tree was declared champion in 1997 by American Forests and is listed in the National Register of Big Trees as being 141 feet tall and just over 7 feet in diameter.
The Southern Magnolia has large, creamy white and very fragrant flowers that grace this broad-leafed evergreen in late spring and early summer. Leaves are shiny green, reddish underneath.
It blooms May through June, with some blossoms throughout the summer months.
The southern magnolia grows to a height of 60–80 feet and a spread of around 40 feet at maturity.
This tree grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12-24 inches per year.
Full sun and partial shade are best for this tree, meaning it prefers a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The southern magnolia grows in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. It can withstand some flooding and has moderate drought tolerance.
The southern magnolia is an evergreen, keeping most (but not all) of its leaves year-round. It yields fruit that is 3–8″ long, attracting squirrels, rabbits and birds—including wild turkey.
The southern magnolia is better placed in landscaping rather than along a street due to the leathery leaves and large seed pods that are shed in the fall.
The name magnolia honors a French botanist, Pierre Magnol, who admired the tree so much that he transplanted it to Europe 300 years ago.
(Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin)
Neighborhood Forest is excited to bring the Tamarack to our list of species this year in honor of Tamarack District Library in Lakeview, Michigan, which was instrumental in helping us go viral last year.
One of the most beautiful trees in the far northern forests of North America is the colorful deciduous conifer, commonly called the tamarack.
The Tamarack is one of the few conifer trees that changes color and drops its needles in the fall / winter.
The species turns a dazzling yellow in the fall before dropping its needles to reveal attractive flaking bark in the winter months to have its needles re-emerge a blue-green hue for the spring and summer. Every year those lovely falling needles create a fine mulch that is pleasing to the eye and completely sustainable.
The Tamarack grows up to 40 to 80 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide.
This species of tree requires full sun. Tamarack trees are completely intolerant of shade, so it’s important to clear out competing trees or shrubs. Making sure that your tree can grow in direct sun should help to ensure it gets adequate spacing. Place it at least 15 feet from any other trees.
When you decide where to plant your tree, realize that this species does not like competition; it will require a good amount of space between it and any other trees to thrive.
In nature, tamaracks grow in wet areas such as bogs or swamps. Planting it in an area that gets moisture that replicates these conditions will be best for the tree. This is less important than providing ample sun but will cut down on your supplemental watering needs.
Wet, organic soil is best for Tamaracks. It is native to a type of bog called muskeg, which is comprised of peat. This rich wet acidic soil is preferred and will help your tree thrive, but as far as soil needs go, the tamarack is more adaptable here than it is for its sun requirements.
Tamarack trees require some supplemental water, especially during periods of drought and when the tree is first establishing itself. It will not tolerate being overly dry, so keeping the soil beneath it moist is important. On initial planting, adding two to three inches of good organic mulch to the dripline will help retain moisture. After a few seasons, you won’t need to add more mulch since the tree makes its own beautiful needle mulch.
During the first three years, it is important to give your tree water weekly. Follow the standard of 10 gallons per inch of trunk diameter measured by caliper at knee height. If the weather is really dry, increase the water to 15 gallons—the tamarack won’t mind!
Beauty and romance may be the first images many people associate with the gleaming white paper birch. But this symbol of the north country has earned its place in history as a continuously useful tree that has served North Americans since the earliest days of human activity.
Today it is one of the best-loved trees of the New England landscape, planted often for the beauty of its distinctive bark and golden fall color.
The white birch (also known as paper birch) grows to a height of 50–70 feet and a spread of around 35 feet at maturity.
This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13 inches to more than 24 inches per year.
Full sun and partial shade are best for this tree, meaning it prefers a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The paper birch grows well in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. While it prefers normal moisture, the tree has some drought tolerance.
This tree develops a smooth white bark that curls and peels (once mature), provides bright yellow fall color, and produces brown or green catkins in April and May.
The white birch received its name from the nature of its bark. Long ago, people would peel layers of the thin, paper-like bark and write on it as a way to send messages. Sometimes known as canoe birch—recalling its favor among Native Americans and early fur trappers as a resource for sleek, sturdy, and lightweight watercraft.
The white spruce grows to a height of 40–60 feet and a spread of 10–20 feet at maturity. This tree grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24 inches per year.
This tree thrives in a lot of sunlight – ideally six hours of direct sunlight per day. The white spruce grows well in a variety of different soils and has some drought tolerance.
The white spruce does well when transplanted. It can withstand wind, heat, cold, drought, crowding, and some shade. It does well in cities and often serves as rural windbreaks.
Aside from providing nesting for birds and shelter for other animals, white spruces provide food for many kinds of wildlife. Crossbills, evening grosbeaks, and red-breasted nuthatches feed on its seeds. The foliage is eaten by grouse, rabbits, and deer. Red squirrels bite open cones to eat the seeds, and they delight upon young, tender spruce shoots.
When Jacques Cartier sailed up the broad St. Lawrence River in 1535, he became the first European to see North America’s white spruces. As he laid claim to the lands he beheld, he proclaimed them to be “as beautiful…as one could wish for.” The trees, he said, were “the finest trees in the world.”
We are very pleased to announce that UPS has entered into a strategic partnership with Neighborhood Forest to help plant 50 million trees by 2030.
UPS has partnered with several tree-planting non-profits and initiatives to reach this goal. This latest partnership with Neighborhood Forest will focus on urban and residential tree-planting through the hands of children in diverse neighborhoods across the United States.
Neighborhood Forest plants tens of thousands of trees every year through the hands of children. Since 2010, we have reached over 100,000 families and planted over 50,000 (mostly urban and residential) trees through the hands of children in 35 states across the country. Our goal is to reach every child in America and eventually the world.
The UPS Foundation loves (and aligns with) the mission of Neighborhood Forest and has committed to give 5,000 children their very own tree to plant on Earth Day 2022.
“UPS is committed to making our planet greener, cleaner, and more beautiful. We love trees and we love planting them and seeing them grow. What better way to green our planet than through the hands of our precious children? We love the mission of Neighborhood Forest and are excited to partner with them to reach more children and communities all across the country. They have a 12-year track record of giving back through children and trees.”, said Joe Ruiz, Vice President of Social Impact at UPS.
“We are honored and delighted to be partnering with UPS to give more children the priceless experience of planting and watching trees grow. Together, we are going to reach every child in America and eventually the world. We are delighted to be part of this win / win partnership.”, said Vikas Narula, Founder of Neighborhood Forest.
Neighborhood Forest loves planting trees and watching them grow. An average American family creates an annual carbon footprint equivalent to what 75 trees sequester in their lifetime. According to GlobeNewsWire, the global average of each human’s carbon emissions per year is 6 TONS of Carbon Dioxide. SIX. TONS. Planting SIX trees per month (72/year) is enough to balance out that six tons per year. Neighborhood Forest helps offset that carbon footprint by introducing tens of thousands of children to the joy of growing trees every year. It has provided over 50,000 trees to over 400 schools, libraries, and youth groups since its inception in 2010.
Neighborhood Forest experienced a record amount of tree sign-ups this year, significantly outpacing our normal capacity to fulfill orders in time for Earth Day 2021. We needed an immediate solution that aligned with our mission to help the planet. With some research, luck, and serendipity, we found Cahoot – the world’s first peer-to-peer e-commerce fulfillment network! With its collaborative “Power of Many” business model, merchants store inventory and fulfill orders for each other on the Cahoot network.
Cahoot’s revolutionary technology and business methods cut down the distance packages need to travel. By intelligently placing inventory closer to customers – businesses and non-profit organizations can deliver goods quickly using sustainable ground shipping rather than air freight. This made Cahoot the perfect fulfillment partner for Neighborhood Forest. Cahoot provided the essential additional storage and fulfillment services required to deliver thousands of 6-12” White Pine trees to kids throughout the U.S. in time for this Earth Day (April 22).
According to Cahoot Founder and CEO Manish Chowdhary, “At its heart, Cahoot makes e-commerce and shipping greener. Ground shipping produces 85% less CO2 emissions and costs up to 50% less than air cargo. It’s a win-win for the planet, the merchant, and the end-consumer whenever we optimize an order! Our partnership with Neighborhood Forest is a no-brainer because we believe in a greener world while making green!”
“We are thrilled to partner with Cahoot. Together, we’re enabling even more families across the US to make the world greener with the additional fulfillment capabilities that Cahoot brings. Best of all, we’re doing it affordably and sustainably with ground shipping. Coincidentally, there is even a mention of the word “Cahoots” in the popular “I Love Trees” song written and sung by Katie Strand in honor of trees, Neighborhood Forest, and Earth Day,” said Vikas Narula, Founder of Neighborhood Forest.
‘Trees talk through their roots, interconnected they’re in cahoots!’
“Now, we’re in cahoots with Cahoot – it’s so perfect”, said Vikas.
ABOUT CAHOOT Cahoot is the world’s first peer-to-peer eCommerce fulfillment network that helps online businesses offer nationwide 1-day and 2-day deliveries. Cahoot offers drastically lower fulfillment fees because it enables merchants to store and ship the merchandise for each other. This novel business model also allows merchants to make extra money using their existing warehouse space and personnel. Visit http://www.cahoot.ai or LinkedIn
ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD FOREST Neighborhood Forest was founded in 2010 by Vikas Narula. When he was a college student in the early 1990s at Maharishi International University (Fairfield, Iowa), he learned of a free tree project started by David Kidd of Ohio. Vikas and his college friends adopted the program and gave away tens of thousands of trees to schoolchildren across southeast Iowa. What began, in 2010, with four schools in Minneapolis has grown to over 400 schools, libraries, and youth groups in 35 states across America and Canada. Neighborhood Forest’s goal is to reach every child in North America and, eventually, the world.
Dear Grandparents, Parents, Guardians, Teachers, Volunteers, Coordinators, Students, and Children,
Your trees are coming soon – sometime next week (hopefully before or on Earth Day – April 22nd)! Your school, library, or youth group leader will be in touch with you.
This message contains important information about your new tree, including planting instructions and species information.
First, I want you to know that you are one of 18,500 people that will be planting trees for Earth Week. You are part of one of the largest coordinated, volunteer, urban / residential tree planting projects in America!
This year has been special for us. In late February, our program went viral among librarians. We had a 20x surge in interest in our program from last year and a record 3x growth in the number of trees we are giving away.
We are thrilled that you are participating!
We would love for you to share a photo of your newly planted tree with your child(ren) on our Facebook page (or you can email us directly). We love collecting “then and nows” of the kids with their trees.
If you or someone you know would like to be a sponsor of our program, please let us know.
Since we had such an unexpected increase in demand for trees, we found ourselves in a bit of a funding gap. One of our friends decided to help us by starting this lovely GoFundMe campaign.
Check out her cool video and song, “I Love Trees!”
Katie Strand's "I Love Trees" Neighborhood Forest
If you know anyone who might like to contribute to our program, feel free to spread the word!
We are giving away 7 different species of trees in 35 states this year:
Coast Live Oak (California)
Eldarica Pine (New Mexico and Texas)
Hackberry (Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, parts of Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee)
Loblolly Pine (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, parts of North Carolina, South Carolina)
Virginia Pine (Parts of North Carolina, Virginia)
White Pine (Connecticut, Massachusetts, parts of Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island)
White Spruce (Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
Please click here to see planting instructions for both evergreen and deciduous variety.
Some key points to keep in mind:
1) Keep your tree in a cool, dark place (refrigerated for those in northern states) until you plant it
2) Protect your newly planted tree from wildlife and lawnmowers with a little fence and netting
3) Put some mulch around it
4) Water generously or in accordance with recommendations for your particular tree species
5) Please take a picture of your child(ren) with your newly planted tree (and share on our Facebook page, if you are comfortable) – watching your tree and kids grow together is a magical joy!
Finally, I want to say that these trees are small and vulnerable. Not all of them survive and that is Ok. It is a part of life and a part of the tree planting process. We do our part and then we have to leave the rest to Mother Nature. A lost tree seedling might break your child’s heart and there is a great lesson in this too. We mustn’t give up! We will keep sending you trees each year and we will keep on planting them.
I had to plant many trees before this one finally made it and reached maturity!
Thank you, again, for participating in Neighborhood Forest’s 12th annual free tree giveaway. We are excited to see all the smiling faces with their little trees!
The Coast Live Oak is a beautiful evergreen oak native to California. It is drought-resistant and can reach a height of 25-82 ft tall. Some trees have been recorded to live longer than 250 years! Oaks attract a variety of birds and butterflies.
A great many birds, mammals, reptiles,
and invertebrates utilize oak trees
and oak woodlands, and they’re
among the most important wildlife
plants.
Many butterflies use Oaks as a host
plant, including California Sister,
Propertius Duskywing, Golden
Hairstreak, and others.
This tree is relatively easy to care for. It does best in full sun or part shade, low moisture, medium soil drainage, and only needs summer irrigation one time per month (max) once established.
Oaks provide tremendous benefits for
all. They provide homes to wildlife,
feed pollinators, clean and recharge
groundwater, provide a playground
for kids, and cool shade for all.
The Eldarica pine is a tree with strong, wide-spaced branches. It gives off a mild, fresh fragrance and has stiff, long, dark green needles at maturity.
It tolerates heat, wind, and dry conditions very well, and can also thrive in colder climates.
The Eldarica pine grows to a height of 30–60 feet and a spread of 25–40 feet at maturity. This tree grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24 inches per year.
Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
An Eldarica pine windbreak makes valuable cover, nesting, and breeding areas for songbirds.
(Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, parts of Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee)
The hackberry is commonly heralded by tree experts as “one tough tree.” Found on a wide range of soils east of the Rockies from southern Canada to Florida, these trees thrive in a broad span of temperatures and on sites that vary from 14 to 60″ of annual rainfall. They can even stand up to strong winds and tolerate air pollution.
The hackberry grows well in a variety of soils. It has some tolerance for both flooding and drought.
All of this hardiness adds up to a good landscape choice, particularly if you’re looking for an energy-conserving shade tree that doesn’t require watering.
The hackberry grows to a height of 40–60 feet and a spread of 40–60 feet at maturity. This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13 inches to more than 24 inches per year.
Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The hackberry forms characteristic corky ridges and warts on trunk and branches and tolerates strong winds, pollution, heat, drought, and salt.
It has a growth pattern that resembles the elm – without the susceptibility to disease.
The fruit of the hackberry is popular with winter birds, especially the cedar waxwing, mockingbird and robin. The tree also attracts many butterfly species including American snout, hackberry, mourning cloak, and tawny emperor.
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, parts of North Carolina, South Carolina)
The loblolly pine is one of the fastest-growing southern pines. This tree is used as a quick-screen in many landscapes. It grows in a wide variety of soils and is drought tolerant.
The loblolly pine grows to 60-100 feet in height with a 25-35 foot spread. It grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24 inches per year.
Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
While it prefers normal moisture, the tree can tolerate some flooding and moderate drought.
Loblolly pines provide shelter and food for many southeastern animals, including birds such as Carolina chickadees, brown-headed nuthatches, rufous-sided towhees, northern bobwhites, and wild turkeys. The seeds are also consumed by chipmunks, squirrels, and other small rodents.
The loblolly is native to the east coast of North America from New Jersey to Florida and Texas. It has a long history with the pioneers and is very aromatic, thus sometimes known as “rosemary” pine.
The Virginia pine is a medium-sized tree that can grow to a size range of 10–60 feet but can grow larger under optimum conditions. The trunk can be as large as 20 inches in diameter. This tree prefers well-drained soil or clay, but will also grow on very poor, sandy soil, where it remains small and stunted. The typical life span is 65 to 90 years.
This pine is useful for reforesting and provides nourishment for wildlife. Virginia pine is a distinct pine in the United States and can be identified by a key characteristic; the relatively short needles are twisted and come in bunches of two. The needles are typically two to eight centimeters in length.
Virginia pine trees inhabit dry forested areas. Unlike some other pines, Virginia pine produces cones in all parts of the canopy.
(Connecticut, Massachusetts, parts of Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island)
The eastern white pine tree is one of the most valuable trees in North America. There is a whole one-hour movie about how this tree was instrumental to the birth of our country!
The white pine grows 50-80 feet tall with a 20-40 foot spread.
Eastern white pines have a long life, usually living to 200 years of age, with some trees living over 450 years! Considered a fast-growing tree, it can reach up to a height of 100 feet and 42 inches in diameter at maturity.
The white pine’s graceful presence and long, evergreen needles give this tree a majestic look.
The trees grow best in fertile, moist, and well-drained soil with full sun. Sapling eastern white pines are tasty food for white-tailed deer and eastern cottontails, so if you have some in your area, it’s a good idea to protect the plant with a small fence / netting after planting!
Though the tree is an evergreen, the aromatic needles usually drop after two or three years after they turn yellow in early fall. Eastern white pine seeds are favored by black bears, rabbits, red squirrels, and many birds, especially red crossbills. White pines provide nesting sites as well for many birds including woodpeckers, common grackles, mourning doves, chickadees, and nuthatches.
The white spruce grows to a height of 40–60 feet and a spread of 10–20 feet at maturity. This tree grows at a medium rate, with height increases of 13–24 inches per year.
This tree thrives in a lot of sunlight – ideally six hours of direct sunlight per day. The white spruce grows well in a variety of different soils and has some drought tolerance.
The white spruce does well when transplanted. It can withstand wind, heat, cold, drought, crowding, and some shade. It does well in cities and often serves as rural windbreaks.
Aside from providing nesting for birds and shelter for other animals, white spruces provide food for many kinds of wildlife. Crossbills, evening grosbeaks, and red-breasted nuthatches feed on its seeds. The foliage is eaten by grouse, rabbits, and deer. Red squirrels bite open cones to eat the seeds, and they delight upon young, tender spruce shoots.
When Jacques Cartier sailed up the broad St. Lawrence River in 1535, he became the first European to see North America’s white spruces. As he laid claim to the lands he beheld, he proclaimed them to be “as beautiful…as one could wish for.” The trees, he said, were “the finest trees in the world.”
Planting Instructions for Deciduous and Evergreen Tree Seedlings
Based on the type of tree you receive, you will review either the “Evergreen” or “Deciduous” planting instructions. Definitions for each type of tree and their planting instructions are provided below.
Desplácese hacia abajo para ver las instrucciones en español. (Please scroll down for Instructions in Spanish)
Please review our Tree Planting Guide for an all-inclusive resource for planting your tree.
We have some very exciting new developments to share as we enter our 12th annual free tree giveaway.
I know it has been a tough and unfathomable 12 months for the entire world. A couple of years ago, even before all the craziness, we thought about calling it quits. Things were hard. Things were not moving as we expected. We wondered if our efforts were really making a difference.
Then, we started to get photos like this:
And this:
And, we were like, “we can’t give up now!”
I am so glad we didn’t give up because something wonderful and amazing is happening – right now.
In the past few weeks, we have experienced an incredible, unprecedented, and exhilarating surge of interest in our program, thanks to a small and unassuming library in Michigan!
In the first 11 years of our program, we grew from serving 4 schools in Minneapolis to 150 schools in 14 states – about 10-15 new schools per year. It was a fairly slow and steady growth over one decade.
In the past few weeks, we have nearly tripled – adding 250 new institutions – now serving over 400 organizations in 30 states!!
Here’s how it happened…
Three weeks ago, Tamarack District Library in Lakeview, Michigan got wind of our program and asked if they could also participate – they wanted to give trees to the kids they serve.
We had never had a request like this before and even though it was out of the ordinary, we thought, why not? What difference does it make whether we reach kids through schools or libraries? They signed up and became the first library in the nation to offer trees to kids via Neighborhood Forest. They were super excited about this and shared our program with a coop of libraries that they are a part of. Within a day or so, we had 5 libraries signed up in Michigan.
Then, they shared our program in a Library Programming group on Facebook and we essentially went viral – doubling the number of organizations we were serving – in just a few days!
Holy tree roots!
Below is the growing list of libraries, schools, and youth groups that have signed up since Tamarack changed the course of our destiny!
(By the way, we’ve given out Tamarack trees in the past, so this is just so fitting!)
It was all very unexpected, thrilling, and a bit overwhelming. This was the moment we had been waiting for all these years. The moment when people would be clamoring from all over to give trees to kids.
We now have the demand for trees we’ve been hoping for and we need to meet it with adequate fundraising. Obviously, this was a growth spurt we hadn’t really planned for.
Consider for a moment, that the average American family creates an annual carbon footprint that is equivalent to what 75 trees sequester in their lifetime. So, for about a dollar a day, Neighborhood Forest can offset a family’s carbon footprint by planting trees through the hands of children – now, tens of thousands of children!
Our sponsorship levels are as follows:
One Child $5 – 1 free tree for a child
Carbon Neutral Individual $75 – 1 year carbon neutrality for one person (15 free trees) Carbon Neutral Family $375 – 1 year carbon neutrality for your family (75 free trees)
Maple $950 – 1 school / library (200 free trees) Oak $2,500 – 3 schools / libraries (500 free trees) Sequoia $4,950 – 8 schools / libraries (1,000 free trees)
We can receive payment via Venmo or PayPal (or check) and we can provide a tax-deductible receipt if desired.
I planted this tree 28 years ago. We want to give every child this joy!
Would you or someone you know (an individual, business, or organization) be interested in supporting us this year, given the wonderful, unexpected surge in participation? Every little bit helps!
Feel free to spread the word!
Is your child’s tree still alive? Please share a current photo of it with your child(ren) on our Facebook page – we love collecting “then and nows” of the kids and their trees.
New schools, libraries, and youth groups that have joined Neighborhood Forest in the past three weeks!
Tamarack District Library, Lakeview, MI Diamond Path International School, Apple Valley Darby Creek, Hilliard, OH Lakeview Elementary, Lakeview MI Big Rapids Community Library, Big Rapids MI Bellaire Public Library, Bellaire MI Manistee County Library, Manistee, MI Leelanau Township Library, Northport MI JFK Elementary, Kingsport, TN Wildflower Early Learning Center, Savage MN Keystone Elementary, LaGrange, OH Bridge Prepatory Charter School, Staten Island, NY White Cloud Community Library, White Cloud, MI PS 380 John Wayne Elementary, Brooklyn, NY PS 35 Clove Valley, Staten Island, NY Zane North School, Collingswood NJ BSA Pack 2 Westerleigh (Scouts), Staten Island, NY Endeavor Library, Montello WI Darlington Library, Darlington, SC Beacon Falls Public Library, Beacon Falls CT Normandale Elementary School, Edina Keene Public Library, Keene New Hampshire Knox Public Library, Knox PA Philmont Public Library, Philmont, NY Ashby Free Public Library, Ashby MA Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Library, Fort Meyer, VA Vestal Public Library, Vestal NY Murrieta Public Library, Murrieta CA DR Evarts Library, Athens, NY Bellevue Public Library, Bellevue, ID Hundred Public Library, Hundred, WV Tom Green County Public Library, San Angelo TX Butler Area Public Library, Butler PA Veterans Memorial Library St. Cloud Branch, St. Cloud, FL Oakland City-Columbia Twp. Public Library, Oakland City, IN Liberty Lake Library, Liberty Lake, WA Star Valley Branch Library, Afton WY Tyler Public Library, Tyler TX Barnwell County Public Library, Barnwell SC Regency Park Branch Library, New Port Richey FL Mitchellville Public Library, Mitchellville IA Porter Memorial Library, Blandford MA Amery Area Public Library, Amery WI Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus IN Alvah N Belding Memorial Library, Belding MI Brisbane School District, Brisbane CA Elmont Memorial Public Library, Elmont NY Three Oaks Township Public Library, Three Oaks MI Kewaunee Grade School, Kewaunee WI Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria LA Carnegie Library of Homestead, Munhall PA Olive Free LIbrary Association, West Shokan NY Wickliffe Public Library, Wickliffe OH Lebo Branch Library, Lebo KS Kalamazoo Public Library, MI Mercer County Public Library, Harrodsburg KY New River Public Library, Wesley Chapel FL Pike County Public Libraries – Phelps Branch KY Clayton County Morrow Library, Morrow GA Buchanan Elementary School PTA, Murrieta CA Emily Brittain Elementary School, Butler PA Collingswood Middle School, Collingswood NJ Unicoi County Public Library, Erwin TN Tangier Smith Elementary, Mastic Beach NY Ida Public Library, Belvidere IL Leighton Township Library, Wayland MI Hoffman Trails Elementary, Hilliard OH Benson Memorial Library, Titusville PA Anderson-Lee Library, Silver Creek NY Malta Township Public Library, Malta IL Evans City Public Library, Evans City PA Chester Public Library, Chester CT W.G. Rhea Public Library, Paris TN Juniata County Library, Mifflintown PA Cromwell Belden Public Library Glen Ellyn Public Library, Glen Ellyn IL Novel Academy, Lake Elsinore CA Lima Public Library, Lima OH Southside Elementary, Shelbyville KY Cranberry Public Library, Cranberry Township PA Glen Lake Community Library, Empire MI Belen Public Library, Belen NM Brandon Free Public Library, Brandon VT Red Bank Public Library, Red Bank NJ Young Men’s Library Association, Ware MA Pike County Public Library, Pikeville KY Pike County Public Libraries, Phelps KY Cass District Library, Cassopolis MI Butler Catholic School, Butler PA Slippery Rock Community Library, Slippery Rock PA Lincoln County Library, Kemmerer WY Crowne Hill Elementary School, Temecula CA Prospect Community Library, Prospect PA Owensville Carnegie Public Library, Owensville IN Missoula Public Library, Missoula MT Ventress Memorial Library, Marshfield, MA Rock Falls Public Library District, Rock Falls IL Early Learning Connections, Butler PA Chippewa Falls Public Library, Chippewa Falls WI Amazing Grace Worship youth, Sidney KY Saegertown Area Library, Saegertown PA Union Public Library, Union NJ Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines Troop 661, Sartell MN Northland Public Library, Pittsburgh PA Stillwater County Library, Columbus MT Salem Public Library, Salem VA Albert Chapman Elementary School, Powell OH Elkhorn City Elementary, Elkhorn City KY Reed City Area District Library, Reed City MI Middletown Public Library, Middletown RI The Goddard School Beachwood, Beachwood OH CubScouts pack 614, Murrieta CA HIS Kids Christian School, Butler PA Western Elementary School, Centertown KY Verndale Area Christian Academy, Verndale MN Wood Family Home School, Afton WY Taunton Public Library, Taunton MA Plymouth Public Library, Plymouth MA McKinley Memorial Library, Niles OH Carver Memorial Library, Searsport ME Washington Elementary School, Dublin OH Hamilton Public Library, Hamilton NY Riverview Elementary/ Middle School, Grundy VA Central Middle School, Golden IL Slater Public Library, Slater IA Interstate 35 Elementary School, Truro IA Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy, Lake Leelanau MI Girl scout troop 71303 gsmh – Weir KS Carolina International School – Concord NC Lillian C. Schmitt Elementary – Columbus IN Bright Horizons at Tel Hai, Honey Brook PA Pasadena Public Library – Pasadena TX PS 44 Thomas C Brown, Staten Island NY La Barge Branch Library, La Barge WY Warrior Run Middle School – Turbotville PA Sutton County Public Library – Sonora TX Jasper County Public Library Rensselaer Branch, Rensselaer IN Little Dixie Regional Libraries – Moberly MO Geary Elementary Middle School – Left Hand WV Fairview Elementary – Richmond IN Lawrence Memorial Library, Bristol VT Christina’s Daycare, Dixon IL Barrett Elementary, Homestead PA BSA Troop 1907, Houston TX Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library – Opelika AL Lincoln Public Library – Lincoln CA Pasco County Libraries – Hudson FL Land O’Lakes Library – Land O’Lakes FL Centennial Park Library – Holiday FL Columbia County Public Library – Lake City FL South Holiday Library – Holiday FL Navigator Academy of Leadership – Valrico FL Twin Falls Public Library – Twin Falls ID Zion Benton Public Library – Zion IL Girl Scouts Earth Day Event – Quincy IL Evergreen Park Public Library – Evergreen Park IL Peoria Public Library – Peoria IL Edwardsville Public Library – Edwardsville IL Seneca Public Library District – Seneca IL Jasper County Public Library – DeMotte IN South Whitley Community Public Library – South Whitely IN Ligonier Public Library – Ligonier IN Covington Public Library – Covington IN Brook Iroquois Washington Public Library – Brook IN Jasper County Public Library – Wheatfield IN Churdan Public Library – Churdan IA McCreary Public Library – Whitley City KY Weymouth Elementary School – Morrill ME Ames Elementary School – Searsmont ME Washington County Free Library – Hagerstown MD Berkshire Athenaeum – Pittsfield MA Community District Library – Coldwater MI Community District Library – Bancroft MI Community District Library – New Lothrop MI Community District Library – Byron MI Community District Library – Lennon MI Community District Library – Morrice MI Community District Library – Corunna MI Lapeer District Library – Lapeer MI Pearl River County Library System – Picayune MS The Paris Dulaney Memorial Library – Paris MO Paris Elementary – Paris MO Montgomery Co R-II Middle School – Montgomery City MO St. Francis Catholic School – Billings MT Kimball Public Library – Kimball NE Butler Memorial Library – Cambridge NE First Congregational UCC – Albuquerque NM Sidney Memorial Public Library – Sidney NY Cazenovia Public Library – Cazenovia NY Kingston Library – Kingston NY Kent Public Library – Kent Lakes NY Cub Scout Pack 123 – Jamestown NY Phoenicia Elementary School – Phoenicia NY Maxwell Memorial Library – Camillus NY Sharon Hill Daycare and Preschool – Cincinnatti OH North Canton Public Library – North Canton OH Girl Scout Troop #796 of Ohio’s Heartland – Dublin OH Scottish Corners Elementary – Dublin OH Franklin Public Library – Franklin PA Southmoreland Primary Center – Alverton PA Vandergrift Public Library – Vandergrift PA Hollidaysburg Area Public Library – Hollidaysburg PA Troop/Pack 217 – Chicora PA West Mifflin Middle School – West Mifflin PA Chippewa Branch Library – Beaver Falls PA Chicora Elementary School – Chicora PA West Warwick Public Library – West Warwick RI Johnsonville Public Library – Johnsonville SC Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library – Dell Rapids SD Victoria Public Library – Victoria TX Bent Northrop Memorial Library – Fairfield VT Alburgh Public Library – Alburgh VT Readsboro Community Library – Readsboro VT Denmark Early Childhood Center – Denmark WI Grantsburg Public Library – Grantsburg WI Lakeview Community Library – Random Lake WI Alpine Branch Library – Alpine WY
